If there was any takeaway from this year’s NRA show, it’s that robotics, AI, and kitchen equipment are all converging to help operators save on rising labor costs. Over the course of three days, I met with over a dozen companies to get a temperature check on the current state of the industry as I sampled plant-based hot dogs, TurboChef-cooked pizzas, and fungi-based seafood. This year’s overview is divided into five key themes around robotics, AI, hyperspeed convection ovens, plant-based alternatives, and beverage innovation.